The Masked Akatsuki Girl
by SilverWhite and Red
Summary: Her parents had left her behind to die in the cold but she was saved by a man wearing a black and red cloak. Unknown to him, she would grow up to be one messed up girl.


I made the start of the story several years ago and posted a few chapters at that time. But when I read it back I saw how bad it was so I decided to change it and correct any mistakes. So from 800 words I changed it into this. I hope you will enjoy reading and that you will support me- _SilverWhite and Red_

Disclaimer : I don't own Naruto.

- x -

The Masked Akatsuki Girl

Chapter 1 - Left Behind

It was really dark outside that night. Only the moon that shone above the treetops, illuminated the dark and messy forest below its beauty. Several stars were also scattered across in that ink colored sky, accompanying the silver colored moon. However the light of the stars and the moon didn't help much in brightening the sight below them. It wasn't like the scene below couldn't be shine upon, it didn't deserve it. It didn't have the right to bask in the holy light of the moon and the stars.

Two dark figures were walking through that huge forest. One of them carrying something, hidden away slightly by the dark green traveling cloak. While the other was looking around frantically for something, which would be their goal.

They both kept on walking silently, not talking a single word to each other. Their footsteps didn't even make a sound. The only sound you could hear was the forest rustling with eerie life and the soft breeze of the night.

Dark grey clouds had formed over time in the dark sky, covering the stars and parts of the bright full moon, hiding its light for the most part. Due to the lack of light, the sky looked mysterious but also ominous.

Suddenly a screech from an owl, echoed in the woods, startling the two. Feverishly they looked around for the source of the loud noise. More forest animals started voicing their thoughts as though the owl had warned them for something. Rustling in the bushes made clear that the small creatures were making a run for it just as the two figures did. Trying to get away from the eerie feeling that the owl had created, they ran.

They had to find their destination and fast.

After what felt like several long and dreadful minutes they suddenly both stopped, indicating that they were at the final point of their journey.

In front of them was a large oak tree with something carved in the seemingly old wood. The old characters cut into the surface of the tree read ; 'A cursed human, a possessed person. Taken by evil, not an existence worthy is what should lie beneath these roots. As it is a demon's child.'

As if the words written on the oak didn't had any effect on her, the woman turned to the man who was with her and said ; "This is the place, put her down here." Her voice sounded cold and harsh, no warm feeling could be detected in it.

"Are you sure you want to go through with this?" The man asked, letting his dark green cloak move aside, revealing a wooden basket being held by him.

"Just do it." The woman snapped at him.

"I really can't believe that a mother would want to dump her own child in a forest." He said calmly, a hint of disgust in his voice.

"I don't care what you think just put her down already!" She yelled after stepping right in front of the man. "You don't have a say in this, understood?" Her tone was very low as she whispered the last sentence.

The man smiled sadly at his wife before putting the wooden basket on the ground, placing it underneath a thick root of the oak tree that was above ground.

With a kunai, the woman carved into the bark of the tree, underneath the words that were already written. She carved the name of her only child, her daughter ; _'Haruno Sakura.'_

Without a warning the name glowed with a soft red light before disappearing into the wood, returning the rough surface to the state it was in.

In the wooden basket life stirred. A loud crying followed, drowning all other forest noises.

Being startled by the crying of the baby she once called her own, the woman sharply turned her head away so she couldn't see the basket anymore.

"Now let's go before we get discovered." She said, pulling the man away from the tree.

The crying from the little infant continued even when her parents were out of sight.

The man his thoughts were in disarray but before he could completely make his mind clear he said in his mind ;_ "Goodbye, my sweet Sakura. Your father is so terribly sorry he had to do this to you. I hope that someone will find you and will take care of you. Be strong."_ The man glanced over his shoulder one last, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears, before he let himself get dragged away by his wife.

After the two figures had left the little baby behind, the wailing of the young child become even louder, like she was calling out to them, calling out to anyone. But her parents couldn't hear her anymore or choose to not want to hear her. She was all alone now. At least it seemed like that.

They had left her to die in that cold dark forest, underneath that root of the old oak in her little wooden basket. Her tiny hand grasped onto the white blanket she was covered with as her crying continued. Hot tears fell from her intriguing green colored eyes. No hope was in sight for her anymore.

But on that she was wrong. A man appeared from behind a tree nearby and looked at the crying baby. He lifted the basket with care and looked at the wailing child. He stared deeply into her eyes until the crying died down into an occasional whimper. Seemingly satisfied with the result of his blank staring he smiled a little at the baby before letting the basked hang by his side, the handle firmly gripped as he started walking into the direction of the two parents.

"_Leaving a child alone in a forest beneath that tree like she is some trash that the god of death has to deal with...-" _

"They are pathetic." The man finished the rest of his thoughts out loud in a whisper before he blended in with the dark landscape, disappearing from sight.

- x -

The night wasn't over yet. The two parents were running to get out of the forest as fast as they could.

Between rapid breath taking the man whispered ; "I think someone is following us." He couldn't shake the uncomfortable feeling as they sped up some more.

She hissed at him. "Just run. We need to get out of here as fast as possible, then we will be fine. We are in an advance in the village, you know that." She whispered back harshly.

"Once we are out of this forest, we will be save." She whispered as a reassurance, not paying any attention to her spouse as she maneuvered through the dark forest, avoiding the trees with ease as he did too. Yet they both could feel the presence of someone else , trailing them, following them

at a great speed. They couldn't tell if the person was going faster as them or had any evil in his actions but both could feel the unsettling feeling in their stomach as they heard nothing ordinary in the forest behind them. Yet they couldn't notice that any other noise of the forest was completely gone.

Behind them, feeling like he was playing a cat and mouse game, the man was jumping from tree branch to tree branch. His feet lightly tapping the wood before he flew again, the wind tickling on his skin. His black and red cloak fluttering behind him a bit. The wooden basket in his hand was still in one angle. He was careful enough to not sway the basket too much so the baby would cry from fear. Instead of the dreadful crying he never wanted to hear again, he heard happy sounds. The baby was giggling from time to time, a bright smile displayed on her cute face.

It made his heart warm up a little, when he paused on a tree branch and looked at her smile. Her still tearstained cheeks had turned a soft pink. Yet he couldn't figure out if it was from the cold or from the laughter. Her bright green eyes stared deeply in his odd colored eyes, they still had a hint of sadness in them.

It irritated him greatly, how she looked so sad when she was giggling at him like he wasn't some evil criminal.

With a low growl he continued the chase.

- x -

The parents had reached the gate of the forest and ran towards it but before they could get past it, they were stopped by a strange sound emitting from the eerie. From the dark a single voice mixed in with the rustling from leaves as he landed on the forest floor.

"You two forgot something." The man said without any emotion in his deep voice.

At that the woman lost it and started screaming at the stranger; "We didn't forgot her! She belongs there! Under that tree! She should have died beneath it! That demon child, she must die!"

The baby in the basket started to cry again, being shocked by the sudden screaming mixed with so much hatred. Glistening tears were falling down her porcelain colored cheeks.

At the sound of her daughter crying, the woman choked on her remaining words and fled the scene, disappearing into the dark of the streets of the village.

The father looked at the man, sadness plastered on his face. "I'm so sorry, Sakura" He said before disappearing into thin air, a few green leaves floating down on the place he once stood.

The little baby continued crying.

The man shook his head, knowing that he couldn't just leave the baby behind or track down her parents to have this repeated again. The option of killing them was pushed back in his mind as the baby gave another loud cry.

He brought up the basket, having it supported by one arm underneath it. He let his finger trace her cheek softly as he whispered things to her to reassure her. Slowly but surely her tears stopped flowing and her cries became whimpers.

The man sighed deeply and lowered the basket again to be held so he could travel with it easily. He stepped back into the forest, taking another path that would lead him to his own destination.

"_What to do?"_ He thought before he vanished into the dark.

- x -

The door of the small apartment got yanked open by the woman, the keys falling out of the lock because of the force. The metal clattered on the concrete but was forgotten right away. She rummaged through their belonging in the living room of their small home.

The man finally stepped into the living room, trying to catch his breath.

"You are really horrible." The man told his wife, not really looking at her.

She walked up to him, her face mere inches away from his face. Pure rage and hate was being displayed on her face.

Yet the words that left her lips were calm and collected. "It's not my fault and you know that. If you hadn't done what you did to her, none of this would have happened. If you weren't so prideful she would be here now in my arms, giggling like she always does. It isn't my fault."

With a saddened look on his face he bent to the ground to grab something from the floor. When he saw the smiling face of his daughter on the picture he laughed a little , while letting his tears stream down his face.

"But I never wanted her to be left behind like that. She isn't a monster." He said, his voice trembling.

His wife tried to grab the picture from her husband's hands when she saw him walk away with it to the kitchen but her hand got slapped away. He wouldn't let her touch the picture.

She sank to the ground, sobs emitting from her. "We couldn't have done anything else."

But she got ignored by her husband as he entered the small kitchen. From a drawer he grabbed a sharp knife. He inspected the cold grey steel and let the tip ran over the stone countertop, hearing a scraping sound. Satisfied with the knife he took it and with the picture in his other hand, he made his way to the bedroom where he and his wife used to sleep till this day.

The man placed the picture on the wall above his bed and pierced it with the knife to it hang there. Their family picture used to hang on that spot before, but that picture was on the floor. The glass and frame broken, scattered on the carpeted floor.

He retrieved the picture of the floor and ripped it in shreds.

"_We aren't that family anymore. It wouldn't have ever been like we would have wanted it to be. My sweet daughter, I'm so sorry_."

He let the pieces of photo paper fall to the ground as he made his way to the closet and pulled out some clothes for him and his wife.

"_If I only hadn't been such a coward." _

He could hear his wife's sobbing from the doorway, where she was standing. Her body was slumped against the doorway.

"_That man, no matter who he was. I can't help it but wonder what he has done with her. For mankind I hope that he has left her behind like we did."_

The man vigorously shook his head, trying to get the saddening thoughts out of his head.

"We are leaving." He said without hesitation. "We can't stay here anymore."

She nodded at him, a quick 'I'm sorry' muttered under her breath.

He grabbed the bags that contained their personal items and turned to look at her.

Her forest green eyes were empty but her face had twisted into hatred again.

He knew that she hated what he had done to their daughter but it wasn't reversible. It was a terrible mistake he had made and leaving her to die when she was still in such a weak form was their only choice. No matter how much it would pain them.

Without a last word to each other he walked up to her and let his forehead rest on hers. White smoke surrounded them both and when it cleared they were gone.

From that day onwards they were never seen again.

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So how was it? Please review- _SilverWhite and Red_


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